The Pokémon Association
by Aoi-Tora
Summary: In a world where Pokémon fights are commonplace, Atsushi has had enough of all that brutality. He decides to join a Pokémon association to help spreading his ideals, after he was approached by an apparently like-minded boy. However, what is this association's real goal ?
1. Introduction : A Choice

**Author notes : before starting, I'd like to specify that I don't own Pokémon and his universe. Please support the series. The cover image is an official artwork by Nintendo (I don't own it).**

 **Hi everyone, it's my first ever fanfiction, so I'd greatly appreciate constructive criticism! Feel free to make a review or a comment.**

 **This story doesn't take place in an already existing "Pokémon island" (not in Kanto, Hoenn, etc...) and doesn't involve already existing protagonists from the Pokémon universe. But, obviously, Pokémon are present in this story.**

 **I hope you'll like it !**

* * *

 _Introduction : A Choice_

There are those who use Pokémon in order to fight: they put them in PokéBalls and make them fight in arenas in front of overexcited spectators: they do everything to become Pokémon masters. Atsushi is not one of them: no PokéBalls, no fights… He considers Pokémon as true friends who shouldn't fight in stadia. For sure, a lot of his friends contradict him, telling that the link between a Pokémon and his trainer becomes stronger when fighting, or that, by nature, they're made for it: but Atsushi disagrees with them all. What's the point in making them suffer for nothing? He prefers playing with them, by far.

"Catch, Aqua!"

The Vaporeon starts running in the direction of the ball, and catches it with grace.

"Well done!"

Atsushi rewards his Vaporeon with a pat on her head and gives her a treat.

Aqua has never fought in her life; in any case, not in an organized fight. Atsushi was given her when he was still a young child, when she was still an Eevee. Now he is fourteen and she has evolved into a beautiful Vaporeon. When the young boy's friends first told him about Pokémon fights some years ago, he couldn't believe it.

"Hey, Atsushi!"

Atsushi, surprised, turns back: The boy who called him is Riku, his childhood friend, who has come to visit him. He's slightly taller than him and wears a red cap, with "Champ!" written on it in capital letters. He is brown-eyed and has short brown hair, just like Atsushi.

"Hey! Hi, Riku! What's up?" he says, delighted to see his friend.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing, lazy boy!"

"What was that?" Atsushi replies, starting to get irritated.

"That's true! You never do any Pokémon fight!" Riku says, taking a proud and provoking attitude.

"So what? I've already told you I hate fights!"

Atsushi is starting to sense that the conversation will soon heat up, as usual…

"Quit than nonsense! It's the only real thing in life!" Riku continues.

"Look around you, you fool!"

He points at a nearby fight between a Rattata and a Weedle, near a big house. Their trainers seem like they aren't five years old yet!

"Even from their younger years, they're training!" Riku exclaims, in wonder by this youngster confrontation. "They'll have a bright future, if you ask me!"

"STOP IT RIGHT NOW!"

Atsushi suddenly rushes towards the very young trainers, filled with anger. Aqua follows him, visibly happy to run alongside his friend. He stops and interrupts the match.

"What? And who are you?" asks the boy who owns the Rattata.

"How dare you make your poor Pokémon fight against each other?"

Both kids look at each other, incredulous and not understanding what is happening.

"But it's our dad who taught us!" explains the Weedle owner.

"Look at your Pokémon," suggests Atsushi. "Do they seem like they want to fight? They hurt themselves by doing that, you know! "

The kids look at their respective Pokémon. They don't seem like they understand what this weird guy means by saying that. Atsushi feels a huge hit on his shoulder: obviously, that is Riku, trying to reason his dumb friend.

"Give it up, mate! Pokémon fights are way too popular that nobody will listen to you and your nonsense! Keep on fighting, kids!" he says, cheering the little fighters with a large smile.

And so the fight resumes, with a disappointed Atsushi unable to do anything. He turns back to Riku, rage in his eyes:

"How dared you…?"

"What are you saying? It's for their own good!" he replies, believing that what he did was right.

"You egoists! Can't you think about what Pokémon endure while you make fun letting them fight one another? They don't take any pleasure at all!" Atsushi arguments, still mad at his friend.

"Foolish! Seriously, give it up, mate. We've already had that conversation way too much in the past."

"All that I say is the truth! It's just that you don't want to admit it!"

The discussion heats up, as both Atsushi and Riku predicted. Riku seems more peaceful than his friend. Suddenly, the anti-fight boy points at his rival's PokéBall.

"Look at this! Do you really think your Pokémon is happy when trapped in this tiny ball?"

"What? As he's miniaturised, there's no problem at all!"

"That's not the issue here! A Pokémon has to play, run, and so on… So, what he needs is space! How often do you get him out of his Pokéball?"

"Well, only for fights," Riku thinks.

"You should let him out more than that!"

"Cut it out, mate…"

Riku gets his Pokémon out of his PokéBall. It's a Venomoth. Aqua looks at it with interest.

"Look! He's terribly happy!" tells Riku.

Atsushi looks at the winged Pokémon. He doesn't let pass any emotion, so it's hard to tell whether he's really happy or not…

"Listen up, Atsu. I'm gonna give up Pokémon fights…"

"Really?" Atsushi wonders, secretly delighted nonetheless.

"…If we make a fight and you win! My Venomoth against your Vaporeon!"

Atsushi can't believe it! He is provoked by his own friend! It may only be to tease him, but it's rather harsh. Atsushi, shocked by this proposition, hardly has enough time to respond that the Venomoth charges Aqua.

"NOOOO!"

Atsushi jumps on his beloved Vaporeon, panicked, in order to protect her. The insect Pokémon misses them at the last moment. Suddenly, Riku looks less pleased:

"Hey! Are you crazy? You could have been hurt!"

"I'd rather be hurt instead of Aqua!"

"Are you kidding me?" Riku says, sighing.

Aqua jumps in Atsushi's arms, relieved. She cries a little.

"Well well well… By the way, giving your Pokémon a name is frankly puerile!" Riku continues to argue.

"That's false!" Atsushi replies, still a bit shocked by what has just happened. "That strengthens the link between both of us!"

"Ah ah! By listening to you, we might think you're talking about your girlfriend!" Riku mockingly laughs.

"HOW DARE YOU?" Atsushi yells, totally fed up with his supposed friend.

Riku gives a friendly hit at Atsushi's shoulder once again.

"Whatever I tell you, you'll never change, right? You stubborn!"

"Same goes for you…"

"So… Seeya, Pokémon lover!" Riku says, with a mocking smile.

"Seeya, savage!" Atsushi replies with anger in his eyes.

After this, the two friends part company. On the way home, Aqua presses against Atsushi's legs, with a smile.

"Let's go home, Aqua!"

* * *

They have done a few meters when Aqua suddenly turns back, a bit anxious. As a result, his friend gets a bit scared as well.

"Wh… What happens, Aqua?"

He turns back too: in the fading evening light, nothing seems to be following them. All that can be seen is the slightly illuminated street and a few bushes along the way. They're just at the village entry and their home is just some meters away. The young boy wonders why Aqua suddenly looked behind for a moment.

"Don't scare me like this next time, Aqua!"

And both return home safely, while a strange-looking boy looks at them, hidden in a large oak… Visibly satisfied, he writes something in his notebook and jumps from the tree, taking the nearby city's route…


	2. Chapter 1 : Aqua

Chapter 1 : Aqua

Atsushi finally comes to his medium-sized home in the picturesque village of Shiromura, far from the noisy big cities. His parents, Satoshi and Yumiko, share the same ideals as him: A Pokémon is not born for fighting. His father, an executive in a famous high-technology company, is helped by his Porygon every day: he is very helpful in order to design the company's products. His mother, an experimented florist, is supported by her Roselia, which is very knowledgeable when it comes to flowers. As a result, her shop is quite renowned throughout the entire region, and a lot of customers come from relatively distant cities in order to see and buy 'Shiromura roses'.

Atsushi opens the door. Then, Aqua directly jumps on Satoshi, just to tell him 'hello'.

"Ah ah!" he says, accustomed to this rather direct way of greeting. "Good evening, Aqua! And good evening, son!"

"Hi, dad!" Atsushi replies. "You came back home early, tonight!"

"Indeed! Today is a special day. It's the company's birthday and everyone at the office could finish working earlier than usual!"

"Sweet! Where's Rob?"

"He's in his computer, as usual."

Rob is Satoshi's Porygon's name. He is fond of software. This very rare Pokémon has been part of the company for years.

Aqua heads to the modern kitchen. She looks at Atsushi with envious eyes.

"Hey! I know what you want!"

The Vaporeon smiles. The young boy heads to the kitchen as well, reaches the cupboard and grabs some fish-shaped biscuits. Aqua suddenly gets agitated and attempts to jump to get his favourite treat.

"Stay calm, Aqua!"

Aqua calms down but has trouble keeping down her excitement. Then, Atsushi gives her the long-awaited little reward. She's overjoyed! Meanwhile, Atsushi's father is preparing some tea.

"Did you have a nice day, son?" he asks in a relaxed manner, taking place on a chair.

""Hmm… Yeah… I went to the park and saw Riku," the young boy answers, sitting as well.

"Oh! Nice! How is he going?"

"He's going well. Always teasing me, of course…"

"Oh, well…"

"And I overreacted when I saw a Pokémon battle between two very young kids… Maybe I scared them…" he continues, a bit ashamed by his reaction, with hindsight.

Satoshi clearly feels his son's concerns. It is not the first time it has happened.

"Dad, it really pains me to see organised Pokémon battles. Maybe we should create a law in order to forbid them or make them illegal!"

"Listen, Atsushi…" Satoshi says, with a concerned tone. "We've already discussed the matter hundreds of times. It's way too complicated. The majority of this continent's people are addicted to or in favor of Pokémon fights. Even in the government. We can't change people's mentalities as if by magic, unfortunately."

"But it's for Pokémon's welfare! Why is the government turning a blind eye to this?"

"I understand your point of view, and I approve it; but that's not other people's case. If you attend a Pokémon battle by chance, don't interfere, or just don't look at it."

Atsushi suddenly stands up, at his father's surprise.

"When I'll be an adult, I'll do all I can to be part of the government and I will make Pokémon battles illegal! Pokémon will no longer be considered as fighting machines! And they'll live peaceful lives…"

Aqua agrees with Atsushi. The energetic boy's father is somehow less enthusiastic, but can't help grinning at his son's determination.

"If this is your career plan, then I let it be. But I'm warning you: you'll have to overcome lots of opposition anywhere you'll go. And that could start with your own friend Riku."

"I'm aware of that," Atsushi replies, not giving up his ideals whatsoever. "But I don't plan on staying here idly, doing nothing! I'll fight for Pokémon rights and welfare!"

"Ah ah… Using the word 'fight' is not very appropriate in that context!" Satoshi laughs.

"Really? So… I'll make everything for Pokémon rights, then!"

Satoshi grins. His son reminds him of himself when he was younger and full of ambition. But instead of fighting for Pokémon rights, he ended up working in an office.

"Very well…" Satoshi continues. "But you'll need a lot of courage and patience."

"Don't worry about that, dad!"

Having said this, Atsushi and Aqua leave the kitchen and head to the young boy's bedroom. Or, more precisely, the young boy AND the Vaporeon's bedroom. In fact, Aqua has her very own bed. Atsushi opens a book named "Eevee and his evolutions". Aqua reads it as well. Every time they come across a Vaporeon picture, she starts to get agitated and pleased, and Atsushi smiles at her. He strokes her head. She smiles. By seeing her, he feels happy. That reminds him of the first day they met.

* * *

Four years ago, his father came back from work with a little surprise for his son, for his tenth birthday: it was an Eevee, kindly offered by one of his colleague, whose Flareon gave birth to several youngs. Atsushi remembers how much he was delighted this day! He had always dreamt of having his very own Pokémon. They got along immediately. Now, Aqua and Atsushi are true friends. No need to fight in order to strengthen their link.

Then the day came when Atsushi found a Water Stone at the nearby pond. Aqua seemed particularly interested by this unfamiliar-looking stone. Atsushi put the stone on her back, and she evolved into a magnificent Vaporeon. At first, she had to get used to her new morphology, then she couldn't stop bathing. By the way, she still bathes for approximatively six hours a day. Sometimes, she goes out to see the neighbours' Leafeon, with whom she gets along very well. On the contrary, she can't stand the Houndoom who is owned by the neighbour across the street (after all, he's pretty aggressive). To sum up, Aqua is pretty joyful and kind, as well as playful (her favourite game is playing with a ball in the water). Atsushi is very proud of her. She has her own place in the family, as well as Rob and Rosa.

* * *

Atsushi finishes reading the book. Now is the time to go to bed!

"Good night, Aqua!" Atsushi says, peacefully.

She replies with a small contented cry. After that, Atsushi turns the lights off and falls into a deep sleep, as well as his Vaporeon.

* * *

The next morning, Atsushi and Aqua are on the way to the pond, because the water-type Pokémon wants to play. This pond, the same in which Aqua evolved, is not that far from their house. Aqua rushes very quickly and outruns his friend, despite his nice running pace. Then, he can hear a big 'splash'. He keeps on running towards the local pond and sees his Vaporeon already swimming at the other side of the water zone.

"How can you go that fast? You're great, Aqua!" the young boy says with difficulty, out of breath.

Aqua looks at Atsushi and smiles. She is playing blissfully in the water, splashing the surrounding reeds. Atsushi doesn't intend to go very far in the pond, as it is quite deep and contains lots of mud, but Aqua splashes him copiously!

"Ah ah! Thanks, Aqua!" he tells, a bit ironically.

Aqua seems to be discussing with a little Poliwag. Maybe he's asking Aqua to make less noise. After that, she calms down a little bit. She's still dabbling in the pond, under Atsushi's supervision. Suddenly, a huge yell is being heard, coming from nowhere:

"TREECKO, USE BULLET SEED!"

The poor Poliwag is being hit by the attack with full force.

"POKÉBALL! GO!"

The Pokéball hits the tadpole-like Pokémon and entraps it. It wriggles a bit, then comes to a halt.

"YEAH! I'VE JUST CAUGHT A POLIWAG!"

This mysterious Pokémon trainer is no other than Riku, who came to catch Pokémon at the pond. Atsushi reaches him, not that pleased.

"Hey! How are you, Atsu?" Riku asks, still delighted by his recent feat.

"How… How dare you?"

"What? I've just caught a wild Pokémon, it's just a routine thing!"

"Don't you feel ashamed? You hurt this poor Poliwag while he was swimming peacefully in the water!" Atsushi says, very angry.

"Oh, you're so annoying, dude… As always… You'll end up all alone if you keep that attitude…"

Atsushi grumbles. Maybe the conversation could have ended up there, but Riku adds fuel to the flames:

"And a Pokémon trainer's aim is to catch Pokémon, after all!"

"You don't feel anything by having hurt him?"

"We'll just go to a Pokémon center, and it'll be all over!"

"What about his family? Have you ever thought about it? What if his parents were waiting for him? They'll never see him again!"

"You say that, but your Vaporeon has been taken from its mother without its permission as well!"

Atsushi stops talking, stunned. He can't find an argument to contradict what his friend has just said. It's true that Aqua was separated from her mother when she was young. Moreover, he was offered her. He turns back to Aqua, who has just got by him. She doesn't seem to understand what is happening. After all, she has joined the conversation only halfway. Atsushi seems lost.

"You always tell bad things about Pokémon trainers," Riku continues, "but those who consider Pokémon as pets are not better."

Atsushi shivers. The only thing he wants is the Pokémon's happiness, but he has never thought about this 'family matter' (despite him having Riku as a close friend).

"Well, so long, dude!" Riku says, telling his friend goodbye and happy to have contradicted his friend.

"Wait!"

Riku, who has started taking his way home, raises a mocking smile. He turns back to his friend:

"What's the matter?"

"You're not wrong when you say we're both guilty when we take Pokémon from their family, but in addition to that, you hurt them and you capture them without asking them!"

"You don't ask their permission either…"

Atsushi tries to change the subject.

"At least, my Pokémon are happy and live peacefully!"

"My Pokémon are happy as well when they're fighting by my side! Plus, your Pokémon don't even know how to defend you!"

"Hum… For sure they know!" Atsushi replies, slightly puzzled.

"Remember yesterday… It's you who defended your Pokémon. It should be the other way."

"I don't see why!"

"Alright, quit talking… I don't recall how many of these conversations we've had so far. If you keep on driving people up the wall and be stubborn as you are, you won't make any friends. And some of your friends could be fed up with you forever, starting by myself… You've got your ideals, but you shouldn't annoy people that much. Alright, seeya, a battle's awaiting me."

Atsushi is more stunned and depressed than ever. He's finally sensing that his friend starts being really fed up with him. Maybe he should be quieter in the future… But he feels like he has to raise his voice in order to be listened by everyone. However, if he can't even succeed in making his own friend change his mind, then what about the public opinion's one? Moreover, he's realising that his ideals have some flaws. As his father told him one day, 'in life, there isn't any one hundred percent favorable decision; you will always have to make compromises'. Now he experiences the meaning of this. He's even starting to wonder if Aqua is really happy with him… He turns back to her. She's trying to consolate him.

"Aqua… Do you miss your parents?" he asks, with a sad tone.

Aqua looks to the ground. She doesn't know her parents much.

"Do you think you'd have been happier if you had lived with your parents?"

Aqua doesn't move.

"Are you happy with us?" Atsushi asks, fearing the answer.

Aqua suddenly smiles and nods. Atsushi is somewhat reassured.

* * *

 **Author's notes : well, this chapter 1 is more like a part 2 of the introduction, sorry if that may feel a bit long-winded and repetitive. Things will get serious from the next chapter, for sure!**


	3. Chapter 2 : The Encounter

Chapter 2: The Encounter

Right after this rather eventful row with Riku, Atsushi and Aqua wander around the park they have just reached. The young boy is lost in his thoughts. He is thinking about an efficient way to make people listen to him and his claims. That will not be easy, of course. He sits down on a wooden bench. Some clouds are starting to hide the sun, but there is not any sign of incoming rain (much to Aqua's despair…). Aqua looks at her friend: she feels a bit sad when seeing him that troubled. After all, it does not happen very much.

"Don't worry, Aqua," he says, having just seen the Vaporeon's puzzled face. "I won't give up!"

Suddenly, some footsteps are being heard. Both Atsushi and Aqua turn their heads in the direction of the noise. They can distinguish a human silhouette, coming closer to them. Apparently, he looks like he is slightly older than Atsushi. Now that this mysterious man is close enough to be clearly identified, they can see that he's got spiky blond hair and a white shirt. He's also pretty slender, and pale-looking. Surprisingly, he waves at Atsushi, despite not knowing him at all. Aqua is on her guard, while Atsushi is quite curious about that.

"Excuse me, young man," the unknown man says, "I'd like to talk to you for a moment."

"Oh… Sure…" Atsushi replies, goofily shaking hands with the stranger.

"My name is Yuji, by the way. I'm from Midoriya," the slender man says, sitting next to Atsushi.

"Alright, I'm Atsushi. From Shiromura. You said you wanted to talk to me about something? What is it?"

"In fact, I heard all of your previous conversation with your friend…"

"What? Did you eavesdrop on us?"

Atsushi is suddenly starting to get mistrustful.

"No! Not at all! It's just that you talked so loudly… Anybody could have listened to your conversation from a nearby place only by chance."

"Oh… Sorry…" Atsushi replies, apologetically.

"I can see that you are very passionate. That may be a drawback, but also a benefit if you keep your self-control."

"Hmm… Thank you, I guess…"

Yuji laughs.

"I bet you're the kind of guy who never gives up, am I right? But maybe yelling at your friends is not the best way to make them change their minds…"

"I'm aware of that…"

Yuji takes something that looks like a card out of his pocket.

"Listen up, Atsushi. I share the same ideals as you. In fact, I'm part of a Pokémon association which helps spreading our thoughts about what we believe is right for Pokémon."

"R… Really?"

Atsushi can't believe it: he has finally met someone like him, who wants to make Pokémon really happy! Moreover, there is an association with apparently a bunch of like-minded people (it wouldn't be called an association if Yuji was all alone, Atsushi believes), which he has never heard of! After all, he has never thought about making collective actions, as he felt he was the only one in the village, apart from his parents, to be against Pokémon battles.

"Could you tell me more about your association?" Atsushi asks, taking the visiting card.

"Of course! We are called the 'Pokémon Liberators' and we've been around for almost one year. We're looking for passionate people in order to make bigger actions. The more we are, the more our voice can be heard!"

"Alright… What do you mean by 'actions'?"

"Well, for the moment it's nothing that huge, we're just starting after all! We're making our presence felt and plan on making demonstrations in the near future. And maybe, if that succeeds, we'll make bigger things, but I don't know which ones yet… I'm sure someone like you has lots of interesting ideas!"

"You can count on me, Yuji!"

Atsushi feels his contribution to the association can be valuable. His dream will come true, after all! It may take some time, though, as the association is still at its starting stages. But Atsushi still has a lot of time, since he's only a teenager.

"So, I take it for granted you'll become an official member of the Pokémon Liberators very soon?" Yuji says, smiling.

"Yeah! You can already consider me as a member!" he says enthusiastically.

"That's great… You'll be an awesome addition to the team. Why don't you come to Midoriya to see the rest of the team? The address is on the visiting card. Tomorrow is Sunday, I'm sure you don't go to school on Sundays, do you?"

"That's right! So I'll go see you and the team tomorrow!"

"I'm looking forward to it! See you tomorrow, then!"

"Yeah, see you tomorrow! I can't wait!" Atsushi says, fully grinning.

And the two part company. Midoriya is the nearest big city, only ten kilometers separate it from Shiromura. It will not take very long to go there by bicycle. However, for the time being, Atsushi, accompanied by Aqua, has to go back home. He can't wait to break the news to his parents. They will surely be pleased.

Aqua remained silent during the whole conversation. At the beginning, she was quite doubtful about this stranger, but her negative feelings vanished as soon as she saw Atsushi's delighted expression. After all, whenever Atsushi feels happy, she feels the same.

After Atsushi has begun to move away from the wooden bench where he and Yuji were sitting, the spiky-haired man takes his phone from his pocket and dials a number. He puts the phone on his left ear and starts talking:

"Yeah… It's me… The plan went perfectly well… It was easier than we thought… Maybe too easy, ah ah!... His naïveté and determination will play in our hands, without doubt… Typically the type of guy we're searching for… We can finally start our big plan…"

* * *

The night has just fallen on Shiromura. Satoshi has finally returned home after a day of hard work. Atsushi has been waiting for hours to tell him the news: he hasn't told his mother yet, because he wanted to tell both his parents at the same time. After Satoshi has put away his suitcase and has removed his jacket, he rejoins Yumiko in the dining room, where a camomile tea is awaiting him. Then, Atsushi appears suddenly, visibly pleased.

"Good evening, son! How was your day?" Satoshi asks, happy to see his son.

"Very well, and far better than yesterday! Something amazing happened to me today!" he declares, having difficulty containing his pride.

"Really? Tell us about it!" his mother asks, pleased as well.

"I'm now part of the Pokémon Liberators, in Midoriya! It's a milestone in my project to ban Pokémon battles!"

"And what are the Pokémon Liberators exactly?" Satoshi asks, a bit concerned.

"It's a Pokémon association which helps defending Pokémon rights!" he explains, summing it up the best way he can.

"It's strange, because I've never heard of these 'liberators'… And I work in Midoriya."

"It's just because it's a newly-formed association," Atsushi explains. "They've been around for less than a year"

"And how exactly were you enlisted?" Yumiko asks, visibly worried.

"Hmm… Yuji came to see me in the park and told me about the association… I'll go see them tomorrow."

"Did you know that Yuji before today? "

"No, but I can feel I can trust him!"

"You should be careful when talking to strangers… He could have told you something totally wrong. Besides, you should never talk to stranger anyway," Satoshi tells.

"But he has the same ideals as me! That's so rare! I really want to be part of the Pokémon Liberators!"

Satoshi and Yumiko look at each other. On the one hand, their son is totally in it, and it seems like he has finally found an ally for his project. On the other hand, that Yuji came from nowhere and they can't say if what he told their son is right: what if he was a kidnapper and planned on capturing him tomorrow? Finally, after a short discussion, they both agree and Satoshi let Atsushi know about their decision:

"Well, Atsushi… We grant you the permission to go see this supposed association tomorrow… However, if anything goes wrong, just run away! Got it?"

"Yes, I promise you!"

"Maybe it will be safer if we go with you!" Yumiko suggests.

"No, that'll be fine, thank you!" Atsushi replies.

"Alright… But be extra careful!" Satoshi adds.

"You can count on me!"

Still, Atsushi's parents agree later in the evening to follow their son in their car, just for safety purposes.


End file.
